Who We Are
The Global Health Concentration (GHC) is a student-run club within the University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine. We work to allow students in the MD Program to become engaged and informed leaders in global health. GHC students seek to achieve personal and academic growth while actively contributing to global health through partnerships with local community agencies, international partners, and passionate preceptors and mentors.
Every year, new medical students have the opportunity to get involved and to impact their future, their education, and the field of global health. If you would like to get involved, application information is available here.
Every year, new medical students have the opportunity to get involved and to impact their future, their education, and the field of global health. If you would like to get involved, application information is available here.
The GHC is run by and for current students enrolled in the MD Program at the University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine. More information on the MD Program and the University of Calgary is available here.
What We Do
Mission
The GHC aims to increase student exposure to underserved populations while developing global health (GH) competencies in order to help shape future global health leaders.
Structure
Students in the GHC participate in a self-directed, structured program that includes longitudinal local community placements, global health oriented pre-clerkship electives, and monthly journal clubs. This structure allows members to form relationships with global health mentors, gain leadership skills, and develop the GH competences outlined in the Canadian Federation of Medical Students' guidelines on GH education.
Focus Areas
The GHC has as identified eight areas of focus:
Members of the GHC are exposed to these focus areas through a combination of local clinical placements, pre-clerkship electives, journal clubs, individual portfolios, group deliverables and other relevant community engagements.
Objectives
The GHC aims to increase student exposure to underserved populations while developing global health (GH) competencies in order to help shape future global health leaders.
Structure
Students in the GHC participate in a self-directed, structured program that includes longitudinal local community placements, global health oriented pre-clerkship electives, and monthly journal clubs. This structure allows members to form relationships with global health mentors, gain leadership skills, and develop the GH competences outlined in the Canadian Federation of Medical Students' guidelines on GH education.
Focus Areas
The GHC has as identified eight areas of focus:
- Immigrant and Refugee Health
- Aboriginal Health in Canada
- Addiction Medicine
- Global Burden of Disease and Developing World Health
- Child and Maternal Health
- Health in Inner City Populations
- HIV
- Seniors' Health
Members of the GHC are exposed to these focus areas through a combination of local clinical placements, pre-clerkship electives, journal clubs, individual portfolios, group deliverables and other relevant community engagements.
Objectives
- Encourage dialogue around GH with peers and community
- Promote awareness of GH and its importance and relevance to medical practice
- Learn about local GH issues and acquire skills to interact with marginalized populations
- Identify gaps in the current GH and Population Health curricula and supplement learning for peers
- Pursue educational initiatives to update GH knowledge and competencies through regular journal clubs and teaching sessions
- Remain up to date with current global healthcare developments, e.g. changing refugee healthcare legislation, and recognize its impacts on health
- Develop skills of cultural competency in the context of medicine
- Encourage peer sharing and teaching of past experiences
- Evolve to identify new areas about which the group would like to learn, and fill those needs through programming
- Collaborate with existing student interest groups at University of Calgary to facilitate learning opportunities
- Identify opportunities for research and academic discourse (including applying for and attending GH conferences)
- Improve integration of the GHC with the U of C Medical and GH Graduate programs in part by increasing Faculty mentorship and involvement and engaging with MSc/PhD candidates and their supervisors